Page 20 of Holiday Hire

It's just her door.

She should let me open it for her.

Doesn't matter,I remind myself.

My family magically appears, and I ignore all the banter. I lift a box and move toward the main house.

Dad stops me, asking, "What are you doing?"

"Taking Phoebe's things to the guest room. What does it look like?"

He shakes his head. "Her room isn't here. It's in your house."

My chest tightens. "Why would it be there?"

"The boys are there."

"So?"

"Did you miss the memo that she's their nanny?"

I shake my head. "She doesn't need to stay at my place. She can stay here and still do her job."

"Not necessarily. Now, move her things to your guest room."

I stare at him, not moving.

"Did you not hear me?" he questions.

"You're overstepping," I state.

He crosses his arms. "Maybe so, but this is still my ranch. I'm the head of this family. So whoever's on it lives by my rules. Now, take her boxes to your place."

I still don't move. It's rare my father throws that card out, especially since I'm thirty-five and a parent.

Mason grabs the box from my hands and offers, "I'll take it."

"Stay out—" I spin and freeze.

Jagger and some ranch hands have already unloaded the truck, and boxes sit neatly stacked on my porch.

I glance at Phoebe, surrounded by my family, already fitting in like she belongs here. Her magenta hair flutters in the wind, and I wonder how I'm going to get through this. Not only is this young, carefree, surely wild woman taking care of my kids, she's now living in the room next to mine.

I have no way to get out of it except to suck it up for the week.

4

Phoebe

Alexander shifts nervously. He opens a door and cautiously states, "This is your room." He waves for me to go in first.

I step past him, inhaling the same intoxicating scent as the first day I met him, wondering how a man can smell so good after working on a ranch for hours. I place my purse on the bed and then glance around the neutrally decorated space that matches what I've seen of the rest of the house.

This place needs some color.

"This up to your standards?" Alexander inquires.

I smile, offering, "This is a big room."

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